Ruffling and gathering attachment for sewing-machines



(Model.

A. JOHNSTON. RUFFLING AND GATHERING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MAGHINES Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

CXJ/EMM UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrrca ALLEN JOHNSTON, OF OTTUMW'A, IOWVA.

RUFFLING AND GATHERING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIPICA'I'IONforming part of Letters Patent No. 313,428, dated March 3, 1885.

Application filed April 19, 1884. (Model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, ALLEN JOHNSTON, of Ottumwa, in the county of WVapello and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ruffling or Gathering Attachments for Sewing-Machines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification;

This invention relates to that class of sewing-machine attachments for forming fabric into folds or gathers to be stitched by the machine immediately after, in which the fabric is ruffled or gathered by a reciprocating rufflerblade, the end of which acts upon the said fabric.

It consists in combining with the reciprocating ruffler-blade a pressing-finger for bearing upon the said blade during its forward movement to press it more firmly against the fabric, the pressure of said finger being relieved during the return movement of the ruffler-blade.

It further consists in certain improvements in the means for imparting motion to the ruffling device or blade.

Heretofore, besides other mechanism not necessary to be referred to here, two levers have been used to impart the desired reciprocation to the'rufiier-blade. One lever has been acted upon by some moving part of the sewing-machine, usually the needle-bar, the other lever (connected directly or indirectly with the ruffler-blade) has had motion communicated to it from the former through contact devices partly on one and partly on the other lever. These contact devices have been so arranged that the former lever has at each reciprocation a certain amount of free play or lost motion before the proper devices come into contact and thestroke of the ruftler-blade has been varied by adjusting one of the contact devices by means of a set-screw.

In the present invention a cam or eccentric is employed for the purpose, it being carried by one of the levers.

The combination, with the two levers, the contact devices, and the ruffler-blade, of the cam for adjusting the position of the said contact devices or one of them so as to vary the stroke of the ruftier-blade is the first improvement under this part of the invention.

Another improvement consists in making the contact device or devices of one lever in the form of projections or pins on the side thereof and in making in the side of the other lever one or more recesses, grooves, or slots into which the said pins or projections extend, I

the contact devices being at the ends or edges of said grooves, recesses, or slots.

It is immaterial for the purposes of this improvement which lever has the pins or projections and which the grooves, recesses, or slots.

In the embodiment of the invention hereinafter particularly illustrated the pins will be shown as carried by the lever which receives motion from the sewing-machine. It is also immaterial whether there be only one pin or projection and one groove, slot, or recess, or more than one; also which of the contact devices be adjustable. The use of two pins or projections and two slots, grooves, or recesses "will be shown, and also the adjustment of a contact device at the end of one of said slots, grooves, or recesses.

A third improvement consists in combining the cam for adjusting the contact device with the elements arranged as just indicated.

The invention also consists in the special mechanism for actuating the pressing-finger to force down the ruffier-blade on its forward movement. For this purpose there is a cam formed on or attached to a lever which forms part of the means for reciprocating the rufflerblade. The union or combination of all the improvements in one attachment is also included in the present invention.

The accompanying drawings represent an attachment constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are views in elevation from opposite sides; Fig. 8, a view in elevation from the same side as Fig. 1 with a face-plate 45 of lever O is covered by a faceplate, G,which needle-bar of the sewing-machine, by which the said lever would ordinarily be operated. 0n the inner side it carries the two pins or projections f 9. They extend through slots in the plate a and into the recesses in the lever 0. As the needle-bar rises, and the lever B is moved by it, the pin or projection f strikes the metal of lever C at h, the end of the recess into which it extends, and carries the lever 0 forward with it. The rufller-blade D, which is fastened to a pin, E, projecting from the side of lever C, is of course advanced also. When the needle-bar descends, it carries back the lever B. During the first part of the motion, the lever O and rufflerblade remain at rest. Soon, however, the pin or projection g strikes the device 1', and the lever O and ruffler-blade D are carried back by the further movement of the lever B. The contact devices are, therefore, the pins or proj ections f g, the stop 12, or metal of lever (J at the point h, and the device 1'. Of these the device '5 is made adjustable to vary the stroke of the ruffler-blade. To this end it is hinged at k to the lever G, and is combined with an adjustingcam, F. The hinge is formed by the rounded end of the device fitting within a circular socket, broken away at one side to allow to said device a slight movement in the plane of lever O, or a plane parallel thereto. The cam F is supported upon a boss, Z. of lever G, and is provided with a handle, M, by which it can be turned independently of the lever. It is placed just behind the contact device 1'. By moving it in one direction (to the right, Figs. 1 and 3) the said device is pressed forward, so that it will be struck by the pin or projection g sooner in the descent of the needle-bar, and the lever G and ruffler-blade will therefore be carried back farther than before. By turning it in the opposite direction the contrary effect is produced. Thus the stroke of the rufller-blade may be lengthened or shortened by the adjustment of the contact device '5 through the cam F. The upper part is shown in Big. 1, but is removed in Fig. 3. Said plate is securely fastened to the lever by pins or otherwise. The separator L is fastened to arm 1 under the ruffler-frame.

In order to force the rufiier-blade against the fabric, so that the front end will take a better hold upon the goods, a pressing-finger, H, is provided. This is supported so that it can be moved properly. As shown, it makes part of a lever, K, which is pivoted at 1) to bar the cam surface or incline q, riding over the point s,forces down the lever K and pressing-finger H, and the latter bears down the ruflier -blade. This takes place before or about the time the pin f makes contact with vice i.

the stop 1, so that during the forward movescends and carries down the lever B, the incline q passing over the point 8, the lever K is released and the pressing-finger no longer bears upon the ruffler-blade. This release takes place before or about the time the pin or projection 9 makes contact with the de- The ruffier-blade during its return movement is therefore relieved of the pressure from finger H.

The fabric to be ruffled is introduced between the ruffier-blade and separator. The ruffler-blade being held down during its forward movement, its end takes a firm hold of the fabric which it is to form into folds or gathers. The pressure being relieved on its return, it is less likely to draw back the fabric which has just been folded.

It is evident that modifications may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that parts of the invention may be separately used.

I claim the new improvements herein de scribed, all and several, to wit:

1. In a ruffling attachment, the combination, with the ruflier-frame provided with means for detachably securing the same on a sewing-machine, of the ruffler-blade, the movable pressing-finger under which the rufllerblade slides, and the mechanism carried by said frame for operating said rufiier-blade and said pressing-finger, said mechanism being constructed to receive movement from a reciprocatory part of the sewing-machine when the attachment is secured thereon, substan-, I05

communicated from one lever to the other, of no a cam for adjusting one of said contacts to vary the stroke of the rufliing device or blade, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the ruffling device or blade and two levers for operating the same, said levers turning on a common center or pivot, of one or more pins or projections on the side of one of said levers, and contacts at the ends or edges of one or more recesses or slots in the other, said pins or projections extending into said recesses or slots, substan tially as described.

4. The combination, with the rufiiing device or blade and two levers for operating the same, of contacts formed by one or more pins or projections on the side of one lever, contacts at the ends or edges of one or more recesses or slots in the side of the other lever, and a cam for adjusting one of said contacts to vary the stroke of the ruftling device or blade, said pins or projections extending into said recesses or slots, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the reciprocating rnflier-blade and the movable pressing-finger under which the ruffler-blade reciprocates, of a lever forming part of the mechanism to operate said blade, and a cam movable with said lever to operate said pressing-finger, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a ruffling attachment, with the ruffler-frame provided with means for detachably securing the same on a sewing-machine, and the ruffler-blade, of the two levers fulcrumed on said frame and connected with said rufflcr-blade, the movable pressing-finger under which the ruffler-blade slides, and the reciprocating cam for operating the said finger to bear upon the rufflerblade during its forward movement, substan tially as described.

7. The combination of the ruffler-frame, rufflerrblade, two levers turning upon horizontal axes, contacts on said levers formed by one or more pins or projections on one 1ever extending into one or more recesses or slots in the other, and a regulating-cam turning also about a horizontal axis and carried by one of said levers, the same operating to vary the amount of lost motion between the levers, substantially as described.

8. A ruffling attachment comprising in.

combination the following elements: arufflerframe, a ruffler-blade, two levers, contacts, a cam for regulating the stroke imparted to the ruffler-blade through said levers and contacts, a pressing-finger for bearing upon the ruftlerblade during its forward movement, and a cam for actuating said finger, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALLEN JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

Box M. EMMET, (3130. F. HALL. 

